This invention relates to systems which use wireless data communications to communicate between a portable handheld device (e.g., a portable scanner, a mobile computer, etc.) and a terminal. In particular, the invention relates to point of sale (POS) systems, wherein the portable device may be used to acquire bar codes from items being purchased and to communicate the data read from the bar code to the point of sale terminal by wireless data communication.
One system for wireless data communication is the Bluetooth protocol, wherein data communication devices are operating in a master/slave relationship. The Bluetooth protocol specification is available at www.bluetooth.com. In order to establish communications, for example, between a point of sale terminal and a portable bar code scanning device, the terminal needs to be provided with the Bluetooth device address corresponding to the portable bar code reading device. Thereafter, the terminal""s radio communication module can be operated as a master device and establish a master/slave relation with the radio module in the portable bar code scanning device.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method of establishing the master/slave relation between devices.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an improvement in a point of sale system for acquiring bar code data relating to a transaction. The system includes a first bar code scanner which is arranged to scan bar codes and provide data relating to scanned bar codes to a processor. According to the improvement of the invention, a second portable bar code scanner is provided. The second scanner includes a radio module for acting as a slave unit using a master/slave data communications protocol and the second scanner includes an identifying bar code. There is provided a master radio module associated with the point of sale system. The master radio module is arranged to act as a master for communication with the slave radio module in response to reading of the identifying bar code on the portable scanning device.
In one embodiment the identifying bar code is representative of a data communications address for the slave radio module. Alternately, the processor may include a memory having a data communication address for the slave radio associated with data representing the identifying bar code. In a preferred arrangement, the master module is arranged to discontinue acting as a master for communication with the slave radio module in response to a further reading of the identifying bar code on the portable scanning (reading) device.
In accordance with the invention there is provided. a method for establishing a master/slave data communications link. The method comprises providing a machine readable identifying device on a slave unit. Reading the identifying device with a reader associated with the master unit to obtain identifying data. A slave address is determined from the identifying data and the master unit is operated to associate with the slave unit.
In accordance with the invention there is provided a method for reading bar codes on items to be purchased. A portable bar code reader is provided having a slave radio module with a slave address for providing data communication. The portable bar code reader also has an identifying bar code thereon. The identifying bar code is read with a second bar code reader associated with a master radio module and a data processor to obtain identifying data. The slave address is determined using the identifying data and the master unit is operated to associate with the slave unit. The portable bar code reader and the second bar code reader can be selectively used to read bar codes and provide data to the processor.
In accordance with the invention, there is provided a portable bar code scanner which includes a housing enclosing a slave radio data transceiver having an address and an optical bar code reader. A bar code is provided on the exterior of the housing, the bar code being uniquely associated with the address.
In accordance with the invention, there is provided a terminal having a processor, a bar code reader and a master radio module for providing data communications. The terminal further has a program for operating the processor. The program is arranged to operate the bar code reader and provide data to the processor to operate the processor to recognize data as data identifying a slave unit and to operate the radio module to conduct data communications with the slave unit.
For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects, reference is made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.